The present invention relates generally to computer network management, and more particularly, it relates to an interface for managing media attachment unit (MAU) management information statistics.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a managed computer network 10. Network 10 includes a plurality of end stations 20 configured into a star topology having a plurality of managed repeaters 25 located at hubs of the star topology configuration.
Each end station 20 includes a data terminal equipment (DTE) 30 coupled to a media attachment unit (MAU) 35 by an attachment unit interface (AUI). MAU 35 converts signals from a format appropriate for the AUI and a format particular to a media type connecting an end station 20 to a particular managed repeater 25. This media includes twisted pair, coaxial, and fiber optic, for example.
Managed repeater 25 includes a repeater 40 having a plurality of ports, each coupled to a repeater MAU 45. Repeater 40 is coupled to each repeater MAU 45 by an AUI. Managed repeater 25 also includes a management unit (MU) 50. MU 50 includes a microprocessor 55, a media access control (MAC) 60, and a random access memory (RAM) 65.
Computer network 10 implements a network architecture that conforms to IEEE Standard 802.3, hereby expressly incorporated by reference for all purposes. Repeater function is defined in the incorporated IEEE 802.3 standard and will not be further described herein.
IEEE standard 802.3 defines a number of management information base (MIB) or statistics for both repeater 40, and for each repeater MAU 45. Every data packet transmitted from one end station 20 to another end station 20 must pass through every repeater 40. MU 50 is thus able to gather the necessary statistics of the data packets transmitted in computer network 10 by accessing data from repeater 40, and each repeater MAUs 45. The 802.3 standard defines many different repeater statistics, but only a few repeater MAU statistics. As shown in FIG. 1, MU 50 must include an interface for repeater 40, as well as an interface for each repeater MAU 45.
Implementing managed repeater 25 as shown in FIG. 1 is expensive, especially when one considers the interface circuitry required for each repeater MAU and the relatively few statistics obtained from implementation of these various interfaces. Additionally, there are costs associated with implementing managed repeater 25 to coordinate an acquisition of statistics from the several devices. It is desirable to reduce costs associated with production and implementation of managed repeater 25.